"If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I always want to come back Black." This phrase, written by Carolina Maria de Jesus in her diaries, resonates like a manifesto by someone who never wanted to be anyone but herself. A recycler and resident of the Canindé favela in São Paulo, Carolina became one of the first Black writers to achieve national and international recognition. Her book Quarto de Despejo (The Trash Room, 1960, later published in English as Child in the Dark), was translated into more than 13 languages, and provided the world with a profound insight into the experience of being a Black woman and living in a favela. Carolina pioneered the integration of race, class and gender issues in her writing, significantly influencing the contemporary debate on the conditions of Black women in Brazil. With a questioning style, she used writing as a tool for protest, offering a critical view of Brazil and exposing its inequalities. It was no coincidence that Quarto de Despejo was censored in Portugal by the Salazar regime in 1961 and, in 1971, it was deemed subversive by the Brazilian military dictatorship. After the success of her first book, Carolina did not receive the same recognition as other authors who were white. Over time, she distanced herself from the literary scene, fading into obscurity while still alive. She was belatedly recognized and became a cultural and political symbol in the fight for the rights to the city, housing, education and racial equality.